Galaxy Names

List of galaxies

Andromeda,which is shortened from "Andromeda Galaxy", gets its name from the area of the sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda.

It is the closest big galaxy to the Milky Way

2

Black Eye Galaxy

Coma Berenices

It has a spectacular dark band of absorbing dust in front of the galaxy's bright nucleus, giving rise to its nicknames of the "Black Eye" or "Evil Eye" galaxy.

3

Bode's Galaxy

Ursa Major

Named for Johann Elert Bode who discovered this galaxy in 1774.

4

Cartwheel Galaxy

Sculptor

Its visual appearance is similar to that of a spoked cartwheel.

5

Cigar Galaxy

Ursa Major

Appears similar in shape to a cigar.

6

Comet Galaxy

Sculptor

This galaxy is named after its unusual appearance, looking like a comet.

The comet effect is caused by tidal stripping by its galaxy cluster, Abell 2667.

7

Cosmos Redshift 7

Sextans

The name of this galaxy is based on a redshift (z)measurement of nearly 7 (actually, z = 6.604).

Galaxy Cosmos Redshift 7 is reported to be the brightest of distant galaxies (z > 6) and to contain some of the earliest first stars (first generation; Population III) that produced the chemical elements needed for the later formation of planets and life as we know it.

8

Hoag's Object

Serpens Caput

This is named after Art Hoag, who discovered this ring galaxy.

It is of the subtype Hoag-type galaxy, and may in fact be a polar-ring galaxy with the ring in the plane of rotation of the central object.

9

Large Magellanic Cloud

Dorado/Mensa

Named after Ferdinand Magellan

This is the fourth largest galaxy in the Local Group, and forms a pair with the SMC, and from recent research, may not be part of the Milky Way system of satellites at all.

10

Small Magellanic Cloud

Tucana

Named after Ferdinand Magellan

This forms a pair with the LMC, and from recent research, may not be part of the Milky Way system of satellites at all.

11

Mayall's Object

Ursa Major

This is named after Nicholas Mayall, of the Lick Observatory, who discovered it.

Also called VV 32 and Arp 148, this is a very peculiar looking object, and is likely to be not one galaxy, but two galaxies undergoing a collision. Event in images is a spindle shape and a ring shape.

12

Pinwheel Galaxy

Ursa Major

Similar in appearance to a pinwheel (toy).

13

Sombrero Galaxy

Virgo

Similar in appearance to a sombrero.

14

Sunflower Galaxy

Canes Venatici

Appearance

15

Tadpole Galaxy

Draco

The name comes from the resemblance of the galaxy to atadpole.

This shape resulted from tidal interaction that drew out a long tidal tail.

16

Whirlpool Galaxy

Canes Venatici

From the whirlpool appearance this gravitationally disturbed galaxy exhibits.